(Fiber Distributed Data Interface) Often pronounced "fiddy," it was a LAN and MAN access method that had its heyday in the mid-1990s. FDDI was an ANSI standard token passing network that transmitted 100 Mbps over optical fiber up to 10 kilometers. It included its own network management system and could optionally run over copper wire (CDDI) with distance limitations. FDDI II added circuit-switched service to this normally packet-switched technology in order to support isochronous traffic such as real time voice and video.
Dual Rotating Rings
FDDI provided an optional dual counter-rotating ring topology that contained primary and secondary rings with data flowing in opposite directions. If a line broke, the ends of the primary and secondary rings were bridged together at the closest node to create a single ring again.
Single Attached and Dual Attached
Nodes could be configured as Single Attached Stations (SAS) connected to concentrators or as Dual Attached Stations (DAS) connected to both rings. Groups of stations were typically wired to concentrators connected in a hierarchical tree to the main ring. Large networks could be configured as a "dual ring of trees," in which the dual ring provided the backbone to which multiple hierarchies of concentrators were attached.
MIC Connector
FDDI used a dual-fiber MIC plug and socket for connection to devices.
Dual Rotating Rings
FDDI provided an optional dual counter-rotating ring topology that contained primary and secondary rings with data flowing in opposite directions. If a line broke, the ends of the primary and secondary rings were bridged together at the closest node to create a single ring again.
Single Attached and Dual Attached
Nodes could be configured as Single Attached Stations (SAS) connected to concentrators or as Dual Attached Stations (DAS) connected to both rings. Groups of stations were typically wired to concentrators connected in a hierarchical tree to the main ring. Large networks could be configured as a "dual ring of trees," in which the dual ring provided the backbone to which multiple hierarchies of concentrators were attached.
MIC Connector
FDDI used a dual-fiber MIC plug and socket for connection to devices.
 | Reproduced with permission from Computer Desktop Encyclopedia. Copyright (c) 1981-2008 The Computer Language Company Inc. All rights reserved. |
Additional Resources
- Federal University of Sao Paulo Upgrades and Saves With Extreme Networks Gigabit Ethernet Solution
- The Federal University of Sao Paulo UNIFESP was running an obsolete Fiber Distributed Data Interface FDDI network that was continuously on the brink of crashing. Designed to serve just 200 users and connect only 46 computers, the system could no longer handle the demand generated by its 7,000 users, including...
- Case studies 2008-04-01
- A Study of FDDI and Ethernet Traffic on the LANL Network Backbone
- This paper discusses several network traffic traces taken on the Los Alamos National Laboratory backbone between 2001 and 2002. These traces, approximately 1.2 terabytes of binary data, will soon be released for public study in an anonymous form. This paper will discuss the collection methodology, tools, and an analysis showing...
- White papers 2007-02-05
- Manufacturing Company Upgrades to a Centralized, Scalable and Reliable Core Network With Multilayer Switch Solution From Hitachi
- The manufacturing facility of Japanese "Company A" required a major network infrastructure upgrade the actual name of the company is not disclosed due to confidentiality agreements typical of these types of projects in Japan. The manufacturing facility of Japanese "Company A" wanted to upgrade legacy distributed FDDI network to a...
- Case studies 2006-03-21
- Study: Broadband leaps past dial-up
- Study: Broadband leaps past dial-upBig SurpriseWith getting web content getting slower and slower using dial people are bound to switch. I mean you want to down a MP3 off of a pay site you wait 20 minutes or more depending on the speed you get from you ISP and hope...
- Discussion threads 2004-08-18
- Network Resources Back to the Basics: LAN
- Explains those critical LAN technologies in use today and in the future, including Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, Token Ring and Fiber Distributed Data Interface FDDI. It also includes information on basic network components, such as repeaters, bridges, routers, hubs, and switches.
- White papers
- A Comparative Analysis of High-Speed Switching for Backbone LANs: Fast Ethernet, FDDI, and Fibre Channel
- LAN switching has proven its value in boosting available bandwidth while protecting investments in cabling and network interface cards NICs. Backbone LAN switching poses some special requirements compared with departmental LAN switching. Network managers should choose a backbone switching technology based on how it handles different kinds of traffic, how...
- White papers
- Nortel Networks Case Study: Montgomery County, PA
- Located 20 miles outside of Philadelphia, Montgomery County serves a population of approximately 760,000 spread throughout 62 municipalities - making it one of the 15th largest counties in the United States. The existing FDDI data service had met County needs to date but was outdated and restricted their ability to...
- Case studies
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